US Officials Questioned Kansas Rule on ATMs, Cash Assistance

The state will begin accepting applications this week for the energy assistance program.

Records released by the state show Kansas faced pointed questions from U.S. officials about its now-abandoned plan for a $25-a-day limit on ATM withdrawals with cash assistance cards.

The state Department for Children and Families on Wednesday released an email from a regional Department of Health and Human Services official.

The state agency eliminated the cap on ATM withdrawals Tuesday, a day after receiving the email. The HHS official attached a list of questions containing a statement that the limit appeared to violate federal law.

The Legislature approved the $25 limit in April as part of broader efforts to ensure that poor families use cash assistance for necessities. But lawmakers later worried about how federal officials would react and in June authorized DCF to increase or eliminate the cap.